CBC Newfoundland Morning

The big move out of Corner Brook's "old" Western Memorial Regional Hospital continues this week. For many patients and staff, it is likely a welcome change to get into a brand-new building. But, for some long-term care patients and their families, it's a major cause for concern. Eddie Joyce is the Independent member of the House of Assembly for Humber - Bay of Islands, and he spoke with the CBC's David Newell.

The Progressive Conservative Party in this province's legislature is one MHA stronger today. Candidate Lin Paddock won Monday's byelection in Baie Verte-Green Bay by more than three-thousand votes over his nearest competitor, Liberal Owen Burt. The seat had previously been held by the Liberals, until Brian Warr resigned as MHA earlier this year. The win by Paddock is the second byelection that's gone in favour of the PCs since the last general election. PC Jim McKenna was elected MHA in Fogo Island-Cape Freels in April. The only other byelection since 2021 was in Conception Bay East-Bell Island, where the PCs lost a seat to Liberal Fred Hutton. We spoke with MHA-elect Lin Paddock.

Some people in this province who like to ride off-road vehicles should take note of some changes that are coming related to mandatory training. The training will be required for some users in the coming months. It's the latest change resulting from the province's new Off-Road Vehicles Act which came into effect in May of 2022. That was when seatbelts and helmets became mandatory in most situations. Rick Noseworthy is the president of the Newfoundland T'Railway Council.

There hasn't been much research in this province specifically on the experiences of trans people with cancer, but a cancer researcher at Memorial University is working to change that. Sevtap Savas leads the Public Interest Group on Cancer Research. The group recently joined with Quadrangle to hold an event focused on the cancer experience of transgender people. Quadrangle works to improve the lives and experiences of people in the 2S LGBTQ-plus community.

Nurse practitioners in NL say they're not getting far in achieving their goal. In late April, the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurse Practitioner Association submitted a funding model proposal to the provincial government. The association wants government to allow privately-run, nurse practitioner-led clinics to be paid for through the public system. Right now, nurse practitioners with their own clinics must have patients pay out of pocket. The association would like the profession to have its own public funding model, similar to the way doctors in private practice can bill through MCP. The national group that represents nurse practitioners would also like to see that. Stan Marchuk is chief executive officer of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada.

Through Access to Information, CBC recently learned that more than 90-million dollars was spent on travel nurses province-wide last year. Last month, the province's health minister announced that the auditor general is investigating travel nurse contracts signed by the former health authorities. Hundreds of travel nurses are working in the province, in many cases with all their expenses paid. They also make double the hourly rate that permanent staff nurses bring home. The minister said government needs to slash the number of temporary nurses because the cost is getting out of hand. Yvette Coffey is the president of the Registered Nurses' Union Newfoundland and Labrador.

There's a snake on the North Shore of the Bay of Islands! But no worries - this one's a giant art project, and everyone can contribute their creativity to make it even bigger and better. The rock snake started with one rock painted as the head. Then, everyone paints their own rock, making the snake longer and longer! The Irishtown-Summerside Recreation Committee got it going. The CBC’s Amy Feehan visited and spoke with some children and parents about the rock snake.

After a wet winter and a rainy spring, many of us are enjoying the somewhat warmer temperatures, heading into summer. Boaters are taking advantage of this, too. But being on the water comes with risks. Boating-related fatalities still make up a big chunk of water-related deaths in Canada each year. This is Safe Boating Awareness Week, and Transport Canada is reminds people to always keep safety in mind. The CBC's Hillary Johnson spoke with their boating safety officer, Melissa McGrath.

The Western Environment Centre is growing the local food network one project at a time. On June 1, they're inviting people to the grand opening of the new community greenhouse in Corner Brook. The shared space will be used to grow food, hold workshops, and showcase environmentally friendly growing methods. Katie Temple is Executive Director of the WEC.

Ads for sports betting sites seem to be coming at us from all sides sometimes. When you are watching a hockey game, for example, they're featured in commercials, on the tickers scrolling at the bottom of the screen, and sometimes on the helmets of the players. The Canadian Psychological Association says gambling addictions are as harmful as drugs and alcohol. Stephen Joordens is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto.